Kia to recall Soul boxcar over steering defect

SEOUL-- Kia Motors Corp. will recall over 9,000 Soul multi-purpose vehicles to repair a steering defect as it was discovered an initial repair may not have fixed the issue, the transport ministry said Thursday.

The recall affects 9,123 Souls from the 2013-2015 model years, as "plugs" could allow a pinion gear to separate from the steering assembly, which could increase the risk of a crash.

It is the second recall for the model after the Korean automaker repaired the vehicles in 2014 in the domestic market.

Although cases of loosened steering were reported in overseas, including the U.S., it had not occurred in South Korea, the ministry said.

The repair service will begin on Nov. 20 at Kia service centers.

In addition, the local distributor of U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co. issued a recall on 43 vehicles, including 39 Escape compact SUVs in 2014 model year, over engine coolant problem.

A lack of engine coolant circulation in the vehicle could cause an engine to overheat, resulting in a crack in the cylinder head and result in a pressurized oil leak, the ministry said.